Page 78 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

“I do not have any siblings, but I have a few cousins who make life rather difficult. And one who is quite lovely.”

Nate stopped his pacing, rubbing her arms. “Do you wish you hadn’t come to dinner?”

“No,” she answered. “Nathan, we all have difficulties with our family. Believe me, if you met some of mine, it would be me asking if you wished you wouldn’t have been invited to dinner.”

“Oh, I doubt that.”

“I do not. You do not know my family. Believe me, they make the Kingsleys look like picture-perfect.”

A coy smile crossed his lips. “So, I got the best of the bunch, huh?”

She arched an eyebrow as she raised her chin. “I’d like to think so.”

Silence stretched between them as he slid his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead against hers.

“So, what would you like to do? Return to dinner or abandon ship?” she asked.

“You really want to know?”

“I do. And I will follow your lead on whatever you are comfortable with.”

He heaved a sigh. “With you next to me, I can face anything. I don’t want to ruin the evening just because my brother isplaying dirty.”

“Then we will go back to the dining room and face it together.”

He interlaced his fingers with hers. “That sounds perfect.”

He kissed her lightly before he led her back to the dining room, his hand tightly clasped around hers. He cleared his throat as he settled into his seat again with Elena next to him. “I’m sorry for the outburst. I just hadn’t expected Stephen’s latest surprise.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared across the table at his former fiancée. She offered him a haughty smile, and he wondered why he had ever liked her.

The staff delivered the first course and conversation quieted as everyone dove in.

“This is quite good, Mrs. Kingsley,” Elena said, breaking the silence.

“Oh, thank you,” she answered with a smile.

“So, Ellie, is it?” Stephen asked as he set his spoon in his bowl. “How did you meet Nate?”

She dabbed at the corners of her lips before she set her napkin back on her lap. “Oh, we ran into each other at a coffee shop. He spilled coffee all over me.”

Stephen chuckled as Elena did. “That sounds like Nate. A walking disaster.”

“He was quite kind about it,” Elena shot back. “So, it was really only a minor inconvenience. Hardly a disaster.”

“Hmm, well, you don’t know him well enough yet. Don’t get on his bad side.”

“Stephen,” Victoria warned in a low voice.

“What? I just think it’s important for his new paramour to know the man she’s dating.”

Nate’s stomach twisted into a knot at his brother’s behavior.

Elena offered him a courteous smile. “Well, thank you foryour concern, Stephen, but I have taken a good bit of time learning about Nathan.”

Stephen huffed out a laugh. “I’ll bet you don’t knoweverythingabout Nate. You may be surprised to know what he’s really like.”

Victoria’s spoon clattered to her plate. “Stephen, that’s enough.”

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